What Is Adware?

Advertising Supported Software Definition

Adware programs are applications that display advertisements constantly or at various intervals on your computer or within other programs.

It's important to note that not all adware programs are malicious. In the majority of situations adware is bundled with other free programs that you might download and install on your computer or smartphone. The legitimate adware programs will contain an End User License Agreement that states if and how advertisements will be displayed to the user after certain applications are installed on their devices. The legitimate programs can be uninstalled if you wish to discontinue seeing the advertisements that they display.

And then there are the malicious forms of adware that may also be bundled with free downloaded programs. This type of adware is considered to be malware or also Potentially Unwanted Programs. Malicious adware can't be uninstalled by conventional add/remove techniques. In most cases malicious adware must be removed in the same way that computer viruses and ransomware programs must be removed from a computer, because they may utilize forms of protection to hinder removal attempts. Malware will also display advertisements on your computer without your permission. And it may compromise your privacy by monitoring the websites that you visit in an attempt to display targeted advertisements.